Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is after a quality midfielder to add to his off season signings.

McLeish hopes the Blues board will allow to spend more on a top-class midfielder and has eyed the likes of Rangers' Barry Ferguson, Inter's Patrick Vieira and Newcastle's Joey Barton, although recent reports have suggested he has gone cold on the latter.

"The directors gave me money for young centre-halves, more than I expected for that position, so well done from that point of view," McLeish told Sky Sports News.

"We know, and I know, we're not strong enough to meet the challenge in the Premier League without the addition of maybe a real quality midfielder, or dare I say it, two midfielders."